Ocean Biogeochemistry

Mission

The group's mission is to better understand an quantify the role of marine biogeochemistry in the climate system by developing and applying numerical models. The model zoo consists of global numerical models of the marine ecosystem in the euphotic zone, marine biogeochemistry of the deep ocean, the bioturbated sediments and models of tracer transport. The incorporation of these model components in the MPI Earth system model MPI-ESM forms another field of work for the group.

Themes of particular interest are

the quantitative description of marine biogeochemical cycles with a particular focus on the carbon and nitrogen cycles and the future development of oxygen minimum zones

impact of ocean physics on marine biogeochemical cycles

oceanic uptake of CO2 from anthropogenic sources and feedbacks with climate change

the spreading of transient tracers like CFCs and radiocarbon in the ocean

Interactions of the marine carbon cycle with other components of the Earth system

ocean acidification and the future evolution of the biological pump

the reconstruction of past climatic states and their interaction with the marine carbon cycle (more)

impact of volcanic eruptions on the marine carbon cycle

further development of HAMOCC as part of the MPI Earth System Model (MPI-ESM)

High-resolution MPIOM/HAMOCC simulation of phytoplankton concentrations in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean